Hi all -Many of you may already know of Dr. David Miklowitz' book, The Bipolar Disorder Survival Guide: What You and Your Family Need to Know (Guilford Press, 2002), a terrific and highly readable discussion about the illness, its features, its management, and plenty of tips. - Dr. G.

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30 Replies |Report This| Share this:The Bipolar Disorder Survival GuideHi all -Many of you may already know of Dr. David Miklowitz' book, The Bipolar Disorder Survival Guide: What You and Your Family Need to Know (Guilford Press, 2002), a terrific and highly readable discussion about the illness, its features, its management, and plenty of tips. - Dr. G.

Sky has keep a list of books and websites we recommend. I don't remember them all but ' Bipolar Disorder for Dummies" by Candaia Fink MD is often suggested especially to new patients and there families as its easy to read information and easy to find practical tips areof instant help.

I like the first person books by Lana R. Castle ( who I met at our NAMI recovery dinner last year) with her book Bipolar Disorder Demystified. Bob Bradley wrote an excellent first personal account called "How to survive your bipolar brain (and remain functional)" Kay Redfield Jamison is simply a wonderful writer and expert. Her touched with Fire and The Unquiet mind are favorites with this board. For older people Paaty Duke's (also a local NAMI speaker) A Brilliant Mdness is a good introductory book. Another one I like is "A Mood Apart" by Peter C. Whybrow MD.

I how Sky post the entire list she has developed over the years from recomendations we;ve collected as a group. Also Dr. David Miklowitz has recently written a nother survival book devoted to Bipolar Teens. Joye

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Report This| Share this:The Bipolar Disorder Survival GuideSky has keep a list of books and websites we recommend. I don't remember them all but ' Bipolar Disorder for Dummies" by Candaia Fink MD is often suggested especially to new patients and there families as its easy to read information and easy to find practical tips areof instant help.

I like the first person books by Lana R. Castle ( who I met at our NAMI recovery dinner last year) with her book Bipolar Disorder Demystified. Bob Bradley wrote an excellent first personal account called "How to survive your bipolar brain (and remain functional)" Kay Redfield Jamison is simply a wonderful writer and expert. Her touched with Fire and The Unquiet mind are favorites with this board. For older people Paaty Duke's (also a local NAMI speaker) A Brilliant Mdness is a good introductory book. Another one I like is "A Mood Apart" by Peter C. Whybrow MD.

I how Sky post the entire list she has developed over the years from recomendations we;ve collected as a group. Also Dr. David Miklowitz has recently written a nother survival book devoted to Bipolar Teens. Joye

Hey Michelle, thanks I am going to compile some more contacts for Canucks, as there are many good ones, and also we have a t least 6 Canucks that I know of on the boards, it would be nice to add them too. I know CAMH in Toronto is a great contact, but let me get more details together... hugsSnowy

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Report This| Share this:The Bipolar Disorder Survival GuideHey Michelle, thanks I am going to compile some more contacts for Canucks, as there are many good ones, and also we have a t least 6 Canucks that I know of on the boards, it would be nice to add them too. I know CAMH in Toronto is a great contact, but let me get more details together... hugsSnowy

There is also a very good "Cognitive Behaviour Therapy Workbook" that I'll sent to several people. It is perfect for Cannucks as it is written in the Queen's English. Joye

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Report This| Share this:The Bipolar Disorder Survival GuideThere is also a very good "Cognitive Behaviour Therapy Workbook" that I'll sent to several people. It is perfect for Cannucks as it is written in the Queen's English. Joye

I think there should be so much info out there about mental illness. Families just do not get it. For one thing, we don't ask to be bipolar, those wacked out genes are passed down to us. Secondly, why would anyone want to be bipolar. I tell my psychiatrist all the time I guilty I feel that I put my family through all of this. Does anyone really care? Never ever heard any of my family members say it wasn't your fault. And console me give me support. It's like you are the whack job of the family please stay away...not enough programs out there to explain it to everyone, and the ones who are suffering, just keep suffering because we are the ones that had all of this happen to the family. My husband use to accuse me of just laying around when I was depressed, and if I would just get the hell out of bed, maybe I would feel better, boy was that a smart thing to say, good God, it's amazing how some people were raised in families with not one ounce of compassion and support. It's like they look down on you because you are sick, and weak...God I just don't know, isn't that being part of being a Christian helping Gods people get through terrible times. I am a lucky one, my parents, grandmother and my two brothers, my dad wasn't that way but thank God my mom and grandmother was...put the damn news out there, make more programs about it, make people share stories and have support groups for people like us to go to...

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Report This| Share this:The Bipolar Disorder Survival GuideI think there should be so much info out there about mental illness. Families just do not get it. For one thing, we don't ask to be bipolar, those wacked out genes are passed down to us. Secondly, why would anyone want to be bipolar. I tell my psychiatrist all the time I guilty I feel that I put my family through all of this. Does anyone really care? Never ever heard any of my family members say it wasn't your fault. And console me give me support. It's like you are the whack job of the family please stay away...not enough programs out there to explain it to everyone, and the ones who are suffering, just keep suffering because we are the ones that had all of this happen to the family. My husband use to accuse me of just laying around when I was depressed, and if I would just get the hell out of bed, maybe I would feel better, boy was that a smart thing to say, good God, it's amazing how some people were raised in families with not one ounce of compassion and support. It's like they look down on you because you are sick, and weak...God I just don't know, isn't that being part of being a Christian helping Gods people get through terrible times. I am a lucky one, my parents, grandmother and my two brothers, my dad wasn't that way but thank God my mom and grandmother was...put the damn news out there, make more programs about it, make people share stories and have support groups for people like us to go to...

An_188872 responded:

Help families to help their families. Teach them to show compassion for members who have an illness that hit them out of the blue. If you don't come from a family that had compassion shown to them when they were little, they won't know how to show compassion as they age, and God really we definitely will need help then because the older we get the more things go wrong. I don't not need a unsupportive husband. Yes, he was there when I was diagnosed, but he screamed at me to get the hell out of the bed and maybe I would feel better, that's support!! That's compassion...not in my book Better or Worse, that's what I thought marriage was about, but really staring to guess. His family looked down on illness and not compassionate at all, that's why I ask God to take care of me, and pray all the time..get the info out there, put more programs on TV, we need the media's help...

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Report This| Share this:The Bipolar Disorder Survival GuideHelp families to help their families. Teach them to show compassion for members who have an illness that hit them out of the blue. If you don't come from a family that had compassion shown to them when they were little, they won't know how to show compassion as they age, and God really we definitely will need help then because the older we get the more things go wrong. I don't not need a unsupportive husband. Yes, he was there when I was diagnosed, but he screamed at me to get the hell out of the bed and maybe I would feel better, that's support!! That's compassion...not in my book Better or Worse, that's what I thought marriage was about, but really staring to guess. His family looked down on illness and not compassionate at all, that's why I ask God to take care of me, and pray all the time..get the info out there, put more programs on TV, we need the media's help...

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